The invention relates generally to the harvesting of sod and deals more specifically with a sod harvesting machine which handles sod in an improved manner.
Although sod harvesting machines have enjoyed considerable popularity, they have not been wholly satisfactory in all respects. Typically, such machines include a cutting head that acts to separate an elongated strip of sod from the ground. The sod strip is then elevated on the machine to a cutting station where it is cut into individual sod pads. It is common for the individual pads to then be manually stacked on pallets which, as can be easily appreciated, requires a considerable amount of manual labor. This of course raises the cost of the sod harvesting operation substantially, as well as severly restricting the speed with which the machine can operate.
Various types of conveyors and sod stacking mechanisms have been proposed in attempts to overcome these difficulties. For the most part, however, such proposed devices have not been successful. Perhaps most importantly, an operating speed high enough to make the machine efficient in handling sod has not been achieved with the conveyers and stacking devices that have been proposed. Moreover, these devices have been overly complicated and costly to manufacture, and they have been lacking in reliability. Such equipment has also been susceptible to jamming with dirt, rocks, and other materials, thereby increasing the maintenance requirements and down time of the machine.
The present invention is aimed principally at eliminating these difficulties by providing a unique conveyer assembly which functions in cooperation with a stripping mechanism to stack sod pads in automatic fashion. After each sod pad has been cut on the machine in the desired shape and delivered to a pickup station, parallel conveyor chains carrying outwardly projecting teeth pass over the pad. The teeth are arranged to enter the sod from the top and to pinch it in a manner to pick up the pad and carry it along the conveyer to a sod box located at the back end of the machine. The stipping mechanism is then activated to discharge the pads from the conveyer and stack them on a pallet located in the sod box.
It is important object of the invention to provide, in a sod harvesting machine, a conveyer assembly which functions in an improved manner to carry individual sod pads into position to be stacked on a pallet.
Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer assembly of the character described that includes driven chains carrying teeth which penetrate the sod pads from the top thereof in order to pick up and convey the pads. This arrangement allows the machine to operate continuously at a high rate of speed since the conveyer is above the sod pads and need not be withdrawn as is necessary with conveyers that underlie the sod. As an additional benefit, the penetration of the sod by the conveyer teeth provides aeration holes which help to preserve the condition of the sod.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer assembly of the character described wherein the teeth are automatically caused to pinch together in order to firmly hold the sod as it is carried on the chain conveyer. This important feature is achieved by passing the chain around a sprocket in the area where the conveyer teeth enter the sod.
A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a conveyer of the character described, a unique stripping mechanism for discharging the sod pads from the conveyer teeth and stacking them on pallets.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a stripping mechanism which is driven in a sweeping or rocking motion to strip the sod pads from the conveyer teeth smoothly and effectively without interfering with the operation of the continuously running chain conveyer. This sweeping or rocking motion is important in that it results in raising of the forward end of the stripping mechanism in sufficient time to allow the succeeding sod pad to be quickly carried on the conveyer into position above the pallet. Furthermore, the forward end of the stripping mechanism is carried rearwardly during the stripping stroke so that even more clearance is provided to accomodate the next pad. An additional advantage resides in the smooth "peeling" action with which the sod pad is stripped off of the teeth since the stripping mechanism is moving slightly to the rear or in the same direction as the sod pads.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a conveyer assembly and stripping mechanism which may be economically manufactured, which are able to operate at a high speed, which are rugged and durable in operation, and which function automatically in order to eliminate the necessity of manual labor.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.